The Other Two
by Elf of the Wand
Summary: This story is about the Blue Istari. When Alatar, Pallando, and Saruman travel East, Saruman decides that the Blue need to be eliminated. Pallando accidentally betrays his friend, and everything changes. FINALLY FINISHED.
1. The Beginning

Ok, this is my first fanfic, so if it turns out screwy, then that is my problem. If you could give me any suggestions, that would be just great, since I think I am going nowhere. I am writing about the other two Istari, and so this is a series, so don't think that my story ends right here!  
  
Part One: Starting Out  
  
Alatar, Pallando, and Saruman were packing for their journey.  
"Let's see," said Alatar, "I need some lembas, and probably some coimas, just to keep me alive!" He laughed at his own joke. Pallando just sighed, and kept on packing.  
Saruman smiled smugly. "Well, while you two are packing your blue robes, I'll just stand here and watch you, for I have already done my packing, and I am wearing my own white robes."  
Alatar and Pallando exchanged looks. Saruman was always bragging about his higher status among the Istari. That or the fact that he was in favor with his master, Lord Aulë. They continued packing, and whispered amongst each other.  
"I think Saruman's finally lost it," whispered Alatar.  
"No kidding."  
Out of the two Blue Istari, Pallando was the quieter one, and he didn't speak half as much as his counterpart, Alatar. But Pallando was much, much smarter, and he used that asset to his advantage.  
"Quick, you lazy sajorte!" shouted Saruman, "We are leaving for the East tomorrow. You know what Lord Manwë said to you. We are to find out what is brewing in the dark lands, for it has been only a few years since Morgoth left, and trouble is already stirring up."  
Pallando sighed, and continued rolling up more robes.  
"Enough with the robes! You already have packed four! That is much more than enough!" Saruman barked out orders, and the two Blue Istari grudgedly carried them out. Alatar rolled his eyes as he removed the three robes that he had already packed, and put them aside.  
"Good," said Saruman, "When we leave tomorrow, we shall all have light packs, and we will not be as burdened as we once were." His eyes drifted to the pile of robes by Alatar's bag. His upper lip curled a bit, and Pallando saw his eyes gleam with disrespect. Alatar cringed, and picked his bag. Pallando did the same, and the two Blue Istari left the packing camp. Saruman looked on, and whispered under his breath, "Foolish fools." Then, he too left, with his staff in one hand, and a fistful of blue robes in the other. 


	2. Alatar's Hobby

Ok, because of viewer's inquiry, yes, I do know that there are five Istari; I just never mentioned Olórin or Radagest, because from what I know, Curumo only traveled to the East with Alatar and Pallando. And by the way, once Curumo is out of Valinor, should he still be called Curumo, or Saruman? I'm just going to call him Saruman, because this is now in Middle-Earth. Of course, my facts might be wrong, but that's ok. This is a continuation of Part One, so before anyone starts reading, please read Part One. And, if you can, could you please submit a review for any of my stories? Thank you!  
  
The Other Two: Part 2  
  
Alatar woke up, and stretched out his arms. He yawned, and looked around at the barren landscape. Day two in this new land, he thought. Alatar glanced over to Pallando. He was still sleeping, with his eyes staring over the silvery mountains. Alatar smiled mischievously, and hit Pallando with his staff.

"Wake up you kaimiendol!"

Pallando groaned, and hit back with his own staff.

Alatar let out a small wince, but it was enough to wake Saruman.

"What is going on?" shouted Saruman. Alatar and Pallando jolted upright, and sheepishly smiled. Saruman did not look amused. He glared at the two sea-blue Istari, and walked stiffly away. Alatar whispered in Pallando's ear, "Someone did not have enough cuivienen today." Pallando nodded in agreement, rubbed his eyes. His stomach growled, and he hungrily eyed the coimas. Alatar groaned, and broke off a piece for Pallando. Pallando's eyes shone with thanks, and Alatar smiled. That smile was quickly broken by a harsh frown from Saruman, so the two stopped making any facial expression, and started eating their coimas.

Saruman went back to his shelter, and pulled out Alatar's blue robes. He had been shifting through its pockets, and found quite a few interesting things, including an Elvish manuscript on the Dark Lord Morgoth. He had started reading, and was fascinated by the way Morgoth rose to power. From one of the Valar, to the Enemy of the World, Saruman thought. The more he thought, the more he decided that the Dark Lord was correct for defying the world. But, he kept his thoughts to himself, and continued acting the way he did, arrogant and all-knowing.

When Saruman came back to the regular camp, he was smiling smugly. Pallando glanced uneasily at Alatar, and motioned the words with his mouth, Why is Saruman acting stranger than usual? Alatar shrugged, and continued eating. Pallando sighed, and tried to stop thinking about it. But, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed that Saruman knew something. He put down his coimas, and rose from the camp. Saruman asked, "Pallando, where are you going? You have barely eaten half of your portion of coimas!" His voice sounds too happy, and secretive, thought Pallando, and so he whispered, "I am not too hungry today, o Lord Saruman. I have a very delicate stomach, so I cannot eat too much." Alatar looked at Pallando funny, but when he saw a troubled look in Pallando's eyes, he kept his worries to himself.

"Very well," said Saruman, "but I do not like it when irresponsible people just leave their food lying around." He did not try to hide the hint in his words.

"Yes, my lord," whispered Pallando, and so he swept off to his own camp.

Saruman sat next to Alatar. "So," he said, "what do you think about the challenge of the Dark Lord Morgoth?" The question took Alatar off guard, and he asked cautiously, "Why do you ask me this question?"

"Oh, just curious. I mean, we are both Maiar, so this is no question of secrecy between us." Saruman chose his words carefully, using only the ones that he thought were most persuasive.

Alatar thought about it a long time, then said, "I don't agree with the Dark Lord on many of the things that he did, but I must admit, it is very interesting about his rise to power. The only reasons that I went on this trip was because Pallando was going, and because I wanted to see if I could find, well, a growing Dark Lord. I just think that too many light lords have ruled, and that if I could just find out a little about the dark side, then my life would not be so..." He yawned.

Saruman nodded. "You are right, my friend. The light lords keep everything so tidy and just so. It does get tiring, and the chance to meet a Dark Lord excites me also. The Dark Lord Morgoth was once a light lord, but his restrainment in the rankings of the Valar led him to realize that light was not his path, but it was rather darkness. I think that the dark side is much more interesting than the light side, but of course, that is my opinion, and you know that the Istari are not allowed to deal with the Dark Lords." Alatar had no idea what Saruman was talking about, but he nodded anyways, and kept on eating his coimas.

Pallando was listening to the whole conversation behind one of the great boulders in the field, and his quick and nimble mind processed this conversation to lead him to the conclusion that Saruman was becoming ambitious. He frowned. Saruman was already in such high regard. He wanted to go higher. Would that mean... Pallando's heart raced. If Saruman wanted to go higher, he could take Olórin's place as the chief Maiar of the people of Manwë and Varda! Pallando could not imagine such a thing. Olórin was the nicest of all the Maiar, and he was definitely the wisest. However, Saruman was put as chief of the Istari, so the Istari had to follow him.

Pallando's mind worked quickly, and he thought up a conclusion to the strange conversation between Alatar and Saruman. Saruman was trying to use Alatar, but he still wasn't sure what. Pallando racked his mind. What did Alatar have that Saruman would possibly use?

He immediately thought about the book that Alatar had written about the Dark Lord Morgoth. He shrugged the idea off. That book had been in one of Alatar's blue robes. However, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Didn't Alatar complain about leaving his spare blue robes behind? Wasn't the Morgoth book in one of those blue robes? His next thought froze him in his place. Didn't he and Alatar leave Saruman alone with those robes? He peeked over the boulder, and saw Alatar eating his coimas, with Saruman watching him. Pallando shivered, and started heading for his camp.

Saruman's mind was working. He was thinking about the new information that he had just received from Alatar. If what he had just been told was true, then Alatar wanted to join the dark side! That would be breaking the Istari laws. If that were true, Saruman greedily thought, and I had caught him, then I would surely be upgraded, and take the place of the no-good Olórin. He smiled sinisterly. Then, he thought, wait, what about that quiet Blue Istari? His smile turned into a frown. Pallando was always quiet, but he was the wiser of the two Blue Istari. He would somehow have to remove Pallando from the camp in order to isolate Alatar, and find out more information on the new, rising Dark Lord. Again, he kept his thoughts to himself, but he began to take note of what he saw around him. And the first thing that he saw was a blue figure taking off into the direction of the camps.


	3. A Betrayal

This is the third part of my The Other Two series, and I hope that it is as good as the others! And if ur reading this one, u might want to consider reading the other two parts first, because if u don't, then this will make just about absolutely no sense. Ok, and if u can, then could u please review my story? Ok, thanx if u do, and if u don't, well, please rethink and review. Ok, I'm done. And does anyone kno anything about where u can find the unfinished tales? I'm at a loss. I cant find it at any book store so far. I haven't tried borders yet, but I don't kno if its there. If u kno someplace that sells that book, please let me kno in ur review. Ok, thanx! Elf of the Wand  
  
The Other Two: Part Three  
  
Pallando ran as fast as he could towards his camp. He glanced warily behind him. No one was following him yet, that he could tell. He eyed his campsite, in case of an ambush, and he crept inside his tent. Nothing he could tell had been displaced. He shoved some old texts to his side, and he stuck his head outside. Still no one. If anyone was following him, it sure wasn't showing.  
  
He stuck his head back into the tent, and he huddled amidst his blankets. This was the first time that he had ever been scared. While Pallando had been hiding behind the boulder, listening to Saruman and Alatar talk, Saruman had glared into his eyes. The hatred and anger that shined in those eyes burned Pallando, and his mind was scarred with a red eye. Pallando shivered, and brought the blankets closer to him. The eyes were burning his mind.  
  
At the main camp, Saruman was looking down the hill from the hilltop camp. Alatar yawned and put his finished coimas pack by the fire. Saruman glanced at Alatar, and slowly asked, "Alatar, are you really good friends with Pallando?"  
  
Alatar frowned, and said, "Of course! What do you think? I've known Pallando since," he laughed, "Since the beginning of our lives! We were of the same thought, you see." He laughed some more, took a keg of malta, and drained it all. Saruman winced.  
  
Alatar laughed tipsily. "Ah, nothing like a cold keg of malta to cool you down on this warm day!" Saruman raised his eyebrows. He was in his warmest robes, and he was still cold.  
  
Alatar noticed his strange expression, and he giggled and said, "Don't you know? Today is the start of summer!" Saruman did not tell the drunk Istari that it was Solmath, and that was in wintertime. He let Alatar sway and giggle until he fell down snoring.  
  
Saruman looked in disgust at Alatar. What a fool, he thought, and he laughed as well, his haunting tone displacing the cheerful giggle of Alatar. Pallando heard that laugh, and he shivered once more. He crept out of his tent, and tiptoed onto the slope of the hill. He saw Saruman, laughing on the top of the hill, with his robes billowed out of the wind, and the gaping hole of a mouth stretched to its limit, as Saruman let out a great cackle. Pallando gasped when he saw Alatar snoring by the fire. What had Saruman done to him to make him sleep so soundly? Then, Saruman glanced down upon the hillside, and he saw Pallando looking horridly at Alatar. Saruman put down his arms, and shouted to Pallando, "Nothing happened to him, only that he drank too much malta."  
  
Pallando sighed. How typical Alatar was that? Although Alatar was Pallando's sole companion on many journeys, he also tended to be a fool. A powerful fool, but a fool nonetheless. He looked around the camp. Saruman was right. A keg of air stood where once the keg of malta had been. He sighed again. Would Alatar never learn anything?  
  
Saruman beckoned for Pallando to come up to the hilltop. Pallando hesitated, but then climbed up anyways. Saruman smiled warmly, and said, "I had a little talk with Alatar, and he told me that he was trying to study the Dark History of Middle Earth. Is that true?"  
  
Pallando froze. Alatar had told him to never speak of his strange hobby, and yet Saruman was talking about it right in front of his eyes! He gazed at Alatar, and then his eyes shifted onto Saruman's sweet smile. He shuddered. It was almost as perceptive as his eyes.  
  
"Well?" Saruman was growing impatient. The Blue Istari was just looking at him in a frozen way. Saruman sighed, and said, "You know, I am not that patient, so you should just hurry up and tell me. Either way, he is going to be put in the Halls of Mandos, whether you will it or not." Pallando's mind was stuck on one thing; Will he ask me about why I eavesdropped? Will he?  
  
Saruman sensed this, and said, "By the way, why were you listening to Alatar and my conversation?" He leaned forward, and smiled again at the quivering Pallando.  
  
Pallando's mouth quivered. "I was listening by mistake, sir! I didn't mean to over hear your conversation. It was just, well, Alatar doesn't bring up the topic of his interest in the Dark Lords a lot, not even with me. So, I just wondered what was going on, and why Alatar was talking freely with someone about this interest besides me."  
  
Saruman nodded, and motioned with his hands for Pallando to go on.  
  
Pallando told Saruman everything he knew about Alatar and his strange interest. "I didn't know about it until I saw this manuscript. It had this strange jewel on the cover, so I became curious, and started reading. I never meant to find out, but I did. I read the entire book. It was all about Morgoth and how he came to be. It told of how he took over Middle Earth, slowly and surely, until the Elves, Men, and Valar finally fought him and won. But, that book really didn't highlight how Morgoth lost. It highlighted how Morgoth came to power, and how he eluded the Valar, and how he destroyed everything the other Valar worked for. The book also talked about how Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor, and how Feanor worked to create these beautiful jewels, and how the Silmarils were taken to protect Morgoth's lair. I cornered Alatar, and asked him about it until he would say no more. I got all that I could about this topic from him and that book. He told me that he was fascinated by Morgoth because compared to the Valar, he led a much more interesting life, and that if he had a choice when he was created, he would've liked to be in the same thought as Melkor. I asked him why, and he told me because to have this sudden power, and to be able to control other beings, well, he told me that was enough to make him want to join the Dark Lord that is rising right now."  
  
Saruman looked at Pallando with a great interest. "There is a new Dark Lord now?"  
  
Pallando gulped. "Yes, sir. Alatar spoke of one that the Elves call Gorthaur the Cruel. He said that Gorthaur once was Morgoth's servant, but Morgoth came out of power, and he was captured. Gorthaur was put under trial, but he persuaded his captors to let him go. He traveled Middle Earth in the guise of a lost soul, but in the end, he turned back to his dark roots. Alatar said that on this trip, he was going to leave to find the Dark Lord. I don't know if that is truly the case, but I told him not to join. The Istari are not supposed to ally themselves with this new dark force!"  
  
Saruman's eyes shimmered. He turned to Pallando, and whispered, "You are right when you say that. I have to tell someone of higher status than I of what you just said. You were a good person to tell me. I will have you higher ranked when this is over with."  
  
Pallando looked at Saruman with fear. "Oh, no! You cannot do that! That would lose me the trust of Alatar and of any living creature that believes in honor and trust! Oh, no, you cannot tell anyone a single word that I just told you!"  
  
Saruman smiled. "Maybe you won't tell anyone, but I most certainly will. And I don't think that anyone is going to stop me."  
  
Pallando stepped back in horror as Saruman laughed again, and then he stumbled down the hill, just realizing what he had done to his best friend.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	4. The Death of a Friend

DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THESE FABULOUS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME. THEY ALL BELONG TO THE GREAT GENIUS TOLKIEN!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Part Four  
  
Pallando stumbled down the slope towards his camp. He didn't think the trip could get any worse. On the second day, he had already betrayed his best friend, and Saruman had caught onto Alatar's secret.  
  
He stumbled into his tent, only to find that it had been ransacked, and all his notes were gone.  
  
Pallando shouted, "What is going on?" He walked around his camp, searching for his notes. They were nowhere to be seen.  
  
He climbed up the hill. He asked Saruman, "Where are my notes?" Saruman sneered, and said, "Your notes are safe with me. I have made sure that everything you have brought with you is safe and sound. Your notes are in my tent. You will not take them back until I let you. All your spare robes will be burned, for you only need one robe."  
  
Pallando felt fear in his heart. Perhaps... perhaps he could get help from Valinor. He would send for Olórin.  
  
He ran down the hill, and grabbed a piece of parchment from his knapsack. He willed the paper to begin writing itself.  
  
"Dear good friend Olórin,  
  
Curumo caela naaie kula ilye sina luume', ar'ro sa nau nwalka ar'oren n'ner. Iluea lletul ar'leitha nossa tuulo'ryi ista? Synthra umikotane!  
  
Tuulo'Pallando"  
  
Pallando shoved the parchment into his pocket. He would have to get it transported to Valinor later on.  
  
Saruman watched in interest as he saw Pallando's letter. He thought, I wonder what he wrote there.  
  
That night, while most of the camp was sleeping peacefully, Saruman stole into Pallando's tent. He snatched the piece of parchment, and read it. He smiled, and said, "I'll let you send your message, ungrateful one, but when you do, you won't be around for an answer!" Saying that, Saruman slunk off.  
  
Alatar did not wake up in the morning. Pallando shook Alatar's head. "Alatar, my friend, it is time to wake up. Alatar?" The Blue Istari didn't move. Pallando shook Alatar harder. "Wake up! Synthra wake up!"  
  
Saruman walked into Pallando screaming at Alatar in Elvish. He smiled sweetly, and said, "He won't wake up." Pallando looked up at Saruman. "What do you mean?"  
  
The White One laughed. "For an Istari, you have to fight for the best seat. You didn't tell me everything that you knew, so I had to... punish you in sorts.  
  
The Blue One laughed harshly. "You will be downgraded severely for this."  
  
Saruman laughed again. "You have no means of communication with the Lords of the West. For now, it's just us, and I plan to make it only one." Pallando stumbled back, his mouth open in horror. Did he just hear Saruman say that? He ran down the hill, towards his camp.  
  
Saruman smiled. One fool down, another one to go.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pallando wept in his hands. What had he let go wrong? This trip wasn't a trip for the Valar anymore. This trip was for his best friend. His only friend.  
  
He thought about the first time he had met Alatar. They were both young Maiar, and they were both working under Yavanna.  
  
Pallando was shy and timid. Alatar was bold and stubborn.  
  
"Hi little shy one! Why don't you speak up?" Alatar had asked him.  
  
Pallando had stammered, "My name is Pallando. I am one of Yavanna's Maiar."  
  
Alatar had nodded, and said, "My name is Alatar. I am also one of Yavanna's Maiar. Pleased to meet your acquaintance!"------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pallando stopped weeping. He thought, Whatever I do, I must not let Saruman get me. If he does, then there will be no more Blue Istari to fight against the will of the White. I have to find some kind of creature!"  
  
Then, a huge black crow cawed, and flew into Pallando's camp. Pallando gazed in amazement as it opened its beak, and cawed.  
  
Pallando fingered his piece of parchment. Perhaps...  
  
He put the parchment through the bird's talons. He whispered, "You must send this piece of parchment to Valinor. You know where to fly. Follow the eagles. Give this to Manwë and Varda's Maiar, Olórin. You must do this. Understood?" The crow nodded.  
  
Pallando said, "Good. Please do not fail me, o Sir Crow!" The crow flew off, along with all of Pallando's hopes.  
  
Saruman watched in amusement as the crow flew off, bearing Pallando's sacred letter. He wondered if he should stop the Blue Istari from getting too hopeful. He shook his head. No. Let his hope fail him. Apparently, Pallando did not know that Olórin had been assigned to wander the North of Arda. Saruman smiled. His plan was going just as it had been put out. 


	5. A Saddening Ending

**DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THESE WONDERFULLY AWESOME CHARACTERS BELONG TO ME! THEY ALL BE LONG TO THE ONLY ERU AMONG US...**

**JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Part Five**

Pallando walked up the hill solemnly. His heart was with the big black bird that was currently headed due West, towards his hope. His spirits rose, as he saw a black shape moving farther out to the horizon. Pallando smiled softly, wondering if he would ever be able to accept Alatar's death.

Saruman rolled his eyes at the soft-spoken blue-robed Istar. Did the fool really think that a message sent by a crow would really make it to the high point of Taniquetil? He laughed harshly. What kind of fool would trust a crow to get through the talons of Manwë? Certainly a Blue Istar would fit that category though... Saruman smiled wickedly, and whisked away into the dark.

The Blue Istar heard Saruman laughing up the hill, and he thought grimly, He must know what I'm trying to do. I must not let him destroy me as well! Pallando climbed up the sheer hillside, thinking desperately of all the things that could go wrong.

What if the crow eats my message?

What if the crow doesn't make it to Valinor?

What if the crow is attacked by the eagles of Manwë?

What if Saruman kills me before help arrives?

The biggest flaw of Pallando was that he always assumed Olórin would be in Valinor. Unknown to him, was that the Chief Maiar of the King and Queen was currently making a name for himself up North.

Saruman sneaked down the gentle slope of the hillside, spinning around the hill base and watching Pallando struggling to climb the sheer side of the hill. You complete and utter fool! Saruman sneered, and snuck into Pallando's tent.

He located the small leaf of coimas that Pallando still had left, and tipped a thick black liquid onto it. The liquid quickly dissolved into the lifebread, and the White Wizard's work was done. He slipped the bottle of black liquid into his robes, and looked around for Pallando's water flask. If the coimas' kula didn't kill him, then this next thing would. Saruman took out a small spoonful of red powder, and tipped it into the water. He smiled cunningly. Now, all he needed to wait for was the next meal.

The sun rose up high into the sky. Pallando was sweating profusely underneath his thick blue robes, but he couldn't do anything about it. He just went into his tent, and took out his flask of water, and a small chunk of coimas. Saruman joined Pallando at the top of the hill. "Beautiful day, isn't it, o Blue Istar?" Pallando scowled, and whispered, "You'll never get away with the murder of my best friend."

Saruman smiled devilishly. "Your ONLY friend."

Pallando's face burrowed into itself, and he whispered coldly, "You may be the chief now, but everyone knows that Manwë would've had Olórin instead, but he declined. You know you don't deserve those white robes. One day, the Grey Wanderer will wear them, while you go and fall deeper and deeper into the pits of doom and despair."

Saruman laughed. "That was a fine example of rhetoric, but it will not faze me. If you think you can look into my mind, go right ahead, though you might just fall into a little... let us call it, misfortune."

Pallando scowled, and shoved the coimas into his mouth. It was unnaturally dry, so he took a deep swig out of his water flask to help him keep his saliva.

Saruman laughed very loudly and harshly. "My friend, you have just set yourself up for the utter brink of all things. There is now no way that you can win."

Pallando tried to fight the swirling images before his eyes, but his arm could not raise itself. "You... will never... win..." he gasped, "Olórin will defeat you in the end. It... it has been written by Manwë himself... you are not the chosen chief. You... you will fall."

Saruman watched the crumpled blue form collapse underneath the noontime sky. He kicked the bundle of cloth and bones over the sheer edge of the hill, and watched it roll down and end in a disgusting splatter.

The White Wizard packed his bags, and prepared to go West.


End file.
